Railroad rail joint



Patented Dec. 23, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILROAD RAIL JOINT Joseph L. Cuperka, Chicago, Ill.

Application November 20, 1944, Serial No. 564,215

6 Claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved means of economical, comparatively simple and efficient construction that may be easily applied by ordinary workmen without the use of expensive tools for connecting the adjacent ends of railroad rails.

It is a further object of my invention to provide efficient rail joints that may be quickly and easily applied for supporting the connecting ends of railroad rails without the necessity of boring holes through the web of the ordinary type of rail thereby avoiding the weakening of the end of the rail at this vital point adjacent to or Within the joint.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved form of quickly detachable rail joint that will permit a limited amount of longitudinal movement of the rail in relation to the joint to compensate for changes in rail length due to temperature variations.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description directed to the pre ferred embodiment, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification, the novel features thereof being set forth in the appended claims.

In the said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a broken top plan view of a portion of track embodying the invention, the view showing the ends of two contiguous rails and their mode of union in the embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1 with a part thereof in section, the View being taken substantially on line 2--2 of Fig. 1 .Z-

looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a broken, detail, transverse, sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Figs. 4 and 5 are detailed sectional views taken respectively on lines 44 and 5-5 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and Fig. 6 is a part sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

In the Views I, 2, 4 and 5, the reference characters III, II and I2 designate the web, base and ball or tread portions respectively of the rail. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, my improved rail connecting means comprises the use of two cooperating joint chair or seat members, both of which have upstanding angle or side plates as indicated at It and 15 respectively. The side plate I4 is formed as an integral part of an extended seat member or plate 16 of ample thickness for supporting the ends of the abutting rails inthe joint. Both these side plates l4 and l6 are of sturdy, rigid construction, but the plate I 5 may be referred to as the detachable or separable element of the joint chair.

It is an important feature of my invention that I avoid perforation of the web portions ll] of the abutting rails and the consequent weakening of the same which frequently causes failure or breaking of the rails through a section of the rail at the ends adjacent such perforations.

In order to anchor the rails against any longitudinal movement in relation to the joint, I provide on one of the plates l4 and i5 and preferably upon the side plate 14, which is integral with the base plate !6, an inwardly projecting boss preferably circular in cross section. There should be on each plate [4 or l5 at least two of these cylindrical bosses designated in the drawings by'the reference characters I! (Figs. 2 and 4). On a standard size and Weight of railroad rail such as shown in the drawing, these cylindrical bosses may be approximately an inch in diameter and cooperating recesses as designated at [8 about a quarter of an inch larger in diameter will be provided in the rail web, but such recesses l8 will preferably extend only a limited distance into the web of the rail, preferably a little less than half the thickness of the web at its minimum point as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. Thus when the parts of the joint are assembled as indicated in Fig 4, the two abutting rails thus joined together will have only a limited amount of endWise movement to compensate for contraction or expansion of the rails due to temperature changes. The side joint plate M where it merges with the base portion I 6 and is grooved as at 20 to receive the base I l of the rail will be thick enough to give the parts the requisite strength and while my improved joint may be used in various ways in track installation, the construction of the joint is admirably adapted for supporting the ends of the rails between two track ties or sleepers spaced apart a distance slightly greater, as shown, than'the overall length of the joint members I 4, I5 and I6, such cross ties or sleepers being designated by the reference characters 2| in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus the thickness of the bottom plate [6 of the rail joint or chair may be made amply sufficient to assist in securely locking the abutting ends of the rails in the joint without any deviation in the position or elevation of the cross ties or sleepers 2| or other track supporting members in-relation to the top surface level of other rail supporting elements in the track more remote from the joints of the rails, thus my improved rail joint is quick- 1y detachable and separable from the rails without undue disturbance of the track or the rail supporting structure if it is desired to so install the same.

The bottom plate [6 of the joint which is integral with the side plate M will preferably extend not only beneath the slot 29 for the base portion of the rail, but will extend underneath the base l l to the. opposite side thereof and will project a considerable distance therebeyond where it is perforated preferably near each of its extremities to receive a trunnion or cylindrical projection 23 of locking bolts supports 24, of which two will be provided for each joint adjacent the extremities of the seat member or base plate Hi. The members 24 will be perforated as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and to take suitable joint locking bolts 25. It is preferred that some means be provided for securely attaching the members 24 to the base plate [5 in their positions indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, and I prefer to screw thread the cylindrical depending trunnions or cylindrical members 23 and to provide cooperating threaded Walls in the perforation of the plate [6 so that before the joint is assembled, the parts 24 may be screwed into and securely locked to said threaded connections in the base plate i5 whereby after the assembly of the joint and the insertion of the locking bolts25 in the perforations therein, these parts 24 will not be detachable from the base member I 6. as long asthe assembled point is intact and the locking bolts. 25 in position.

The detachable side plate 15 like the corresponding part of the plate It will be constructed with a materially thickened portion with an inner contact. surface as indicated at 26 for engagement with the top of the base H adjacent the joining of the web to the base and the detachable plate 15' will have a laterally and outwardly projecting base or web portion of considerable thickness for a part of its length as indicated at 23, Figs. 3 and 4, and will then be provided with a shouldered or offset portion as indicated at 29 to lie within the base 15 so that on the outside of the shoulder 29 there will be room for the insertionof the aforesaid locking bolts 25'.

While the normal length of the detachable side plate l5 will be approximately the same length as the companion side plate [4 with its integral base l6, in order to permit the ready as- V sembly of the parts including the detachable side plate [5 when the bolt locking members 24 are permanently or operatively attached to the base t8, the base part of the plate [6 at its terminals is notched or cut away as indicated at 30, Figs. 1, 2 and 5 whereby in the assembly of the joint parts [:4 and I5 around and upon the rail ends after the rail ends l2 are in position in the part [4, I5, the side plate l5 may be pushed into posi tion as indicated in- Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive without any interference from the permanently attached locking members 24', after which other companion locking devices may be inserted in the manner herein described for cooperating with the locking bolts 25.

Assuming that two rails properly supported upon track supporting sleepers or cross ties or other desired supports are in the position of the rails I2 as indicated, for example, in Figs. 1 and 2, the composite joint parts l4, l5 may be placed in position from one side of the rail with the lugs IT in the depressions IS in the rail webs as indicated in Fig. 4, the permanent locking members 24 swinging around and passing beyond the base i l of the rail to the positions of the parts shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Then the side plates [4, IE will be placed in joint locking position by causing the upper edg of the plate [5, as designated at 32, to engage the overhanging under side of the ball or tread portion l2 of the rail and by swinging action in which the lower edge of the plate I5 traverses substantially the arc of a circle around the upper edge 32 as a center, this locking plate may be positioned into the normal position of the parts as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, since the cutaway portions 39 will freely pass the locking projections 24, and the thinned part or base of the detachable side plate I5 on the outside of the shoulder 29, and between the cutaway portions 39 will pass conveniently between the permanent locking projections 24 to a position of rest upon the base plate It ready for the permanent locking of the joint parts together which will be accomplished by the insertion of two perforated locking plugs 35 which will be provided with thinned or narrowed downwardly projecting portions as indicated at 35 for insertion in slots 37 formed in the thickened portion 28 of the detachable side plate I 5. The slots 31 of a width sufficient to accommodate the wider portions of the members 35 will be continued through the thin portion or base of the detachable locking member [5 but of less width to accommodate the thinned portions 35 of the members 35 as designated at 38 (Fig. 2). Registering with the slots 38 in the base member Hi there will be corresponding slots of substantially like width as indicated at 39.

By securely tightening the locking bolts 25 which extend parallel with and at one side of the abutting rail ends, the locking plugs 35 are held downwardly against the detachable plate l5 thus locking the thickened portion and the surface 26 against the top of the base H, and the engagement of the inner side and adjacent edges of the plugs 35 with the slots 3'! of the thickened portion 280i the side plate i5 and against shoulders 29, binds the side plate against the side of the rail holding it in contact at the upper edge 32 and against the inner contact surface 26, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

From the foregoing description of my improved structure it will be seen that I have provided a rail joint that is efficient in operation and which is at the same time easily operated by comparatively unskilled workmen with the simplest of tools, especially when installed between sleepers in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2 Which frees the joint of contact with the rails and the sleepers or other track supporting means if desired so that the joint can be removed for any desired purpose as repair or replacement by the simple operation of removing the threaded joint securing bolts 25 which is accomplished by taking the nuts off said bolts and sliding the bolts longitudinally to free the same of the bolt supports 24. which will permit the detachable plugs 35 to be removed from the respective slots 38, 39 which will enable the respective parts of the joint to be separated from the contiguous rail ends in the manner as described. On account of the double contact of each of the side plates [4 and [5 with the ball and base of the rails and the sturdy construction of the joint, the joint is found to be efiicient in its operation as a part of track construction and it is economical by reason of the ease with which it may be installed and replaced in the manner described by unskilled labor.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that persons skilled in the art may resort to various modifications without departing from the purpose and spirit of the invention, and I do not desire to be limited to details of construction except as specified in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a rail joint, the combination of a twopart separable joint body comprising an upstanding side plate integrally joined to a base plate and a second upstanding side plate provided with a base portion adapted to overlie the base part of the rail to which the joint is applied together with the integral base portion of the first said part of the joint body, there being registering slots in the contiguous base portions of the aforesaid parts of the separable joint body, and a looking plug in said registering slots and means extending lengthwise of the side plates and engaging the locking plug to hold it down against the second side plate.

2. In. a rail joint, the combination of a twopart separable joint body comprising an upstanding side plate integrally joined to a base plate and a second upstanding side plate provided with a base portion adapted to overlie the base part of the rail to which the joint is applied together with the integral base portion of the first said part of the joint body, there being registering slots in the contiguous base portions of the aforesaid parts of the separable joint body, a looking plug in said registering slots, and means extending lengthwise above the second side plate for securing said locking plug from removal from base portion adapted to overlie the base part of the rail to which the joint is applied together with the integral base portion of the first said part of the joint body, there being registering slots in the contiguous base portions of the aforesaid parts of the separable joint body, a locking plug in said registering slots, and means for securing said locking plug from removal from said registering slots While the rail joint is in normal operation, comprising a perforated detachable bolt support having screw threaded connection with the joint body and a locking bolt extending therethrough and through a perforation provided in th said locking plug and overlying the said second side plate in a direction longitudinally thereof.

4. In a rail joint, the combination of a twopart separable joint body comprising an.upstand ing side plate integrally joined to a base plate and a second upstanding side plate provided with a base portion adapted to overlie the base part of the rail to which the joint is applied together with the integral base portion of the first said part of the joint body, there being registering slots in the contiguous base portions of the aforesaid parts of the separable joint body, a locking plug in said registering slots, and means for securing said locking plug from removal from said registering slots while the rail joint is in normal operation, comprising a perforated member adapted to have screw threaded, detachable connection with the base plate of the first said part of the joint body, there being a perforation in the said locking plug and a bolt extending through said screw threaded member and the locking plug along the side of and above the said second plate.

5. In a rail joint, the combination of a twopart separable joint body, one part of which comprises an upstanding side plate integrally joined to a base plate and the second part of which comprises an upstanding side plate provided with a base portion adapted to overlie the base part of the rail to which the joint is adapted to be applied together With the integral base portion of the said joint body, there being registering slots in the contiguous base portions of the aforesaid parts of the joint body, a locking plug in the said registering slots, and a locking bolt extending above and lengthwise of the second side plate and connected with said plug and being detachably connected with one of the parts of said detachable joint body.

6. In a rail joint, the combination of a twopart separable joint body, one part of which comprises'an upstanding side plate integrally joined to a base plate and the second part of which cornprises an upstanding side plate provided with a base portion adapted to overlie the base part of the rail to which the joint is adapted to be applied together with the integral base portion of the said joint body, there being registering slots in the contiguous base portions of the aforesaid parts of the joint body, a locking plug in the said registering slots, a locking bolt connected with said plug and being detachably connected with one of the parts of said detachable joint body, the bolt being on the outer side of the second side plate and extending longitudinally thereof and a. pair of integral projections on the first said upstanding side plate adapted to cooperate with registering depressions formed in the respective Webs of two adjacent rail ends adapted to be joined together with the said rail joint.

JOSEPH L. CUPERKA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 723,699 Matheney Mar. 24, 1903 797,885 Bryan et al Aug. 22, 1905 863,392 Heiser Aug. 13, 1907.

1,087,844 Smithe Feb. 17, 1914- 1,205,129 Mayzel Nov. 14, 1916: 636,233 I Austin Nov. 7, 1399 

